Recording-sampler.



A. E. TRUESDELL.

RECORDING SAMPLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1912.

1,228,078. Patented May 29,1917.

GUIDED O Q l 1617 M 746 granulated 50 ARTHUR E. TRUESDELL, 0F ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

REGORDING-SAMPLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed June 15, 1912. Serial No. 703,803.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. TRUEsDELL, a citizen of the United ,States, residing at Adams, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Recording-Samplers,'of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

In the manufacture or treatment of many kinds of granular or powdered material, it is essential that a close watch be kept on the material during the process of manufacture, or during the process of treating the material in order to observe the progress of the manufacture or treatment, and to insure that the resulting product shall be uniform in character. To this end in many manufacturing establishments where granular material is made or treated, it is customary to employexpensive operatives whose duty it is to watch closely the material as it passes through the manufacturing or treating process to see that the material is receiving the proper treatment at different periods of time. a

The object of my present invention is to provide a device which will automatically take samples of the granular or powdered material at certain stages in its process of manufacture or treatment and will preserve said samples in such a way that at any subsequent time a person can not only examine the samples, but can tell at what periods of time said samples were taken.

My recording sampler, therefore, will provide means whereby a record will be kept of the character or condition of the material being treated at any time throughout h d ya I My invention may be used in connection with alarge variety of different manufacturing processes or methods of treating different powdered or granular material. As one specific instance of a practical way in which the device may be used, I would refer to the operation of manufacturing lime with the well-known rotary kilns. In carrying out this process it is necessary to keep a close watch on the product in order that it may be uniform in character, and my device is especially useful in this connection as it preserves a re'cord of the character of the output at different periods of time throughout success1ve days.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have illustrated a simple embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sampler embodying the invention;

F g. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view showing a slightly different embodiment of the invention.

Inasmuch as my invention does not relate to the instrumentalities involved in the manufacture or treatment-of the granular material of which samples are to be taken at lntervals, I-have thought best not to confuse the drawings with an illustration of any particular instrumentality of this nature, but have simply shown at 1 a trough or chute which may be connected with or form part of such instrumentalities and through which the granular or powdered material is being transferred during or at the end of its process of manufacture or treatment. My improved device is arranged to take at specified times samples of the material which is passing throughthe chute 1, and I provide for this by employing a sampling spout or tube 2 which communicates with the chute 1 and through which a portion of the material passing through the chute 1 may be diverted, and a movable sample-receiving element 3 situated adjacent the discharge end of the spout and adapted to receive the samples from the spout 2. In the preferred embodiment of my invention this sample receiving element will be circular in form as shown in Fig. 1 and will be mounted to rotate about its central axis, and it will further be arranged so that the spout 2 will discharge the samples upon the peripheral portion of the element.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the sample-receiving element 3 is provided with a central axis or pivot 4 which is journaled in two bearingsfi carried by a suitable framework 6. These bearings may have any suitable construction, but are herein shown as in the form of screws cupped at their ends to fit over the pointed ends 7 of the pivotal shaft 4, this construction providing a comparatively frictionless. bearing and also one which can be adjusted for wear. Means are provided for rotating the element 3 at a definite rate of speed so that it will rotate through a definite arc in a prescribed time. The speed of rotation of riphery of the element 3,

this element 3 will, of course, depend largely upon the character of the manufacturing process with which the device is being used. In some cases it may be desirable to take samples every few minutes, and in other instances it may sufiice to take samples only once an hour or every two or three hours.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the sample-receiving element 3 is provided on its periphery with a plurality of pockets 8 each adapted to hold one sample and the operating means for the element is one adapted to give it an intermittent movement, each step of which is equal to the distance between two pockets, so that the pockets 8 will be brought succe'ssively underneath the spout 2 and the element will be brought to rest at each time that a pocket is properly positioned. Whenever a pocket is thus brought beneath the spout the material will be discharged from the spout into the pocket until the pile of material in the pocket rises sufliciently high to clog the open lower end of the spout and when this occurs, then the flow of the material through the spout is stopped until the sample-receiving element makes another step forward to bring anempty pocket beneath the spout when a further quantity of material will ,be discharged into the empty pocket until the flow of material through the spout is stopped by the increasing pile of material in the pocket.

If the manufacturing process is one in which it is desirable to take samples at half hour intervals, then-I prefer tolabel the pockets to designate such half hour intervals, that is, one pocket will be labeled 12 oclock, the next pocket- 12.30, the next pocket 1 oclock, the next-pocket 1.30, etc., and the time mechanism for operating the sample-receiving element will be such as to advance it one step at each half hour interval.

While various devices for giving the sample-receiving element its intermittent rotation might be employed, I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a device provided with means which tends to give said element a continuous forward rotation and. an escapement device to intermittently release the element and bring it to rest again. The sample-receiving element 3 is shown as having connected thereto a cord 9 which is wound about the element and is fastened thereto at one end. Said cord is shown as passing over direction pulleys 10 and as having a weight 11 connected thereto, said weight tending to rotate the element forwardly. The escapement device which controls the forward movement is shown as comprising an escape- 'ment lever-12 pivoted at 13 to the frame 6 and provided with fingers 14, 17 onits, ends that are adapted to alternately engage projections. or teeth 15 extendingfrom thapethere being one tooth 15 for each pocket 8. The escapement lever is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 16 or other suitable means and the finger 14' engages one of the teeth 15 and thus limits forward rotation of the element 3 while the finger 17 lies just back of another tooth 15. Means are procontrolled contact maker may have any suitable construction, but will preferably be in the nature of a clock mechanism having associated therewith an arbor 24 that makes its complete rotation once during each time interval and that carries a contact arm 23 which is adapted to wipe over the contact 25 as the arbor 24 rotates. .The contact arm 23 and contact 25 are in opposite sides of the circuit 20 so that the circuit will be momentarily closed once during each revolution of the arbor 24. When the circuit is closed the magnet 18 is energized to oscillate the es capement lever 12 thereby releasing the finger 14 from its projection 15 and throwing the finger 17 into position to engage another prQ ection. Thispermits a partial rotary movement of the sample-receiving element 3 and when the circuit is broken again the escapement lever 12 is returned to its initial position by the spring 16, thus permitting the completion of the forward step of the element 3.

In lieu of this escapement mechanism which results in an intermittent movement of the element 3 I may provide a mechanism which will drive said element 3 forward continuously at a uniform but slow speed. Such a mechanism is shown in Fig. 3 and where this mechanism is employed the sample recelving element 3 will not be, provided with pockets, but will have .asmooth top upper surface. In Fig. .3. thesample-receivin ,el'ev ment 3. haswound thereabeut a cord 90., th

ends of which extend beyond the element and have weights, connected thereto. One end of the cord 90 passes over the direction pulley 91 and is. provided with a weight. 92, and the other end passes over the direction pulleys 10 and is provided with a weight 11. The cord 90 also passes around a driving drum .27 which can berotated at .a uniform speed by any suitable mechanism, not shown,

The rotation of. the. drum 27 will gradually rotate the element .3. and acontinuous line of material will be deposited on the upperesur- .faceofthe. sample-receiving element. "The ng mechanismcan beso .arrangedthat y properly desi;gnating different portions 3 of the table 3 to indicate different time periods and by rotatin said table at the proper speed the device will present a complete record of the character of the material passing through the chute 1 at the different time periods throu bout the day.

In both of t e embodiments shown the device is arranged'to preserve samples taken from the material passing through the chute at predetermined time intervals so that the operator has at any time a complete record Copies of this patent may be obtained for is provided with an opening, of a permanently-open spout communicating with said opening and adapted to receive material therefrom, a sample-receiving element rotatable in a horizontal plane beneath the delivery end of said spout and closely adjacent thereto, said element having projections extending from its periphery, automaticallyoperative means acting on said element and tending to rotate it forwardly, a pivoted escapement lever cooperating with said projections and normally restraining said element from movement,v and time-controlled electric means for periodically actuatin the escapement lever to release thesamp e-receiving element and permit it to rotate one step forward.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR E. TRUE SDELL.

Witnesses:

Jnssm B. Knmz, Fm R. SHAW.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

